Cue tip and manufacture thereof



1,624,984 Aim] 1927 F. B. SEEBERGER CUE TIP AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed Feb. 11, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESS INVENTOR April 19, 1927.

5,624,984 F. B. SEEBERGER CUE TIP AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed Feb. 11. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESS gig??? INVENTOR in lathe, the-punched cyli'nd Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

FRED B. snnsnnenn, or Pmmnttmm,.reansywmm.

can arr-Ann Mm'wmorvasmmnoa iippue'auda fiiaaresmmr 11-; 1926:. Serial No". 87 679.

The object of my inventionvi's; to provide a finished wen-pand; a simple inexpensive i'i-iethod" of makingsuch cu'e tips.

A further object of my invention is to eliinatethe' manufacturing defects. in. cominercia'l cue tips, insuch manner astorretain the-natural: resilientplaying qualities of the leather from which they are; made;- 7

Another object of my invention is to pre- :vi'de' finished cue tips in a multiplicity of standard sizes, ready to be adhesively atflashed: to the cue points, thereby; eliminating the-hand laborne'cessary in thet neparation i o'rc'linary commercial cue tips for play.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

Cue tip-'sg-liaving' a fiat-top; or semieovoid shape, have been-we'll known "forimany' years. Such cue tips haye' ine the pas been made.

al tip: blank being forced upon a knifeblade mandrel, the point of which nearly penetrates to? the playing surface of the cue tip; The object of this-penetration is to stiffen the leather sufficiently toenable the: operator to turn it to the desired shape with a hand tool. This treatment of the cue tip blank: haszt'he tendency to disrupt thefibres of the leather,

thereby destroying much of the life, usehi1ness;a1ictp1a ing qualities of the cuetip.

These" commercial tips are: then subjected to pressure a vise or are fiattenedby mead than with a hammer, the object being ts make them firm, particularly inv the center of the playing-J surface, and to prevent further expansion of the cue tip while in play. After being attached to the one point, the surpl'i'i'sleather is cut. away with a knife flush with the side of the cue point and the playingt'surf-ace is shaped ready for use with sand-paper. Considerable skilland labor is required to secure-the desired result;

According tomy invention, I overcome the difii'cul'ties heretofore em'i'merated by first sub ecting the flat stoeklte compression under a convex face ')u'nch'. This operation isperformed in screw or drop piess,where1n2 a ressure suitable-to the material used may be secured and applied. By these-means;

compressthe fibres of the stock to itsKma'Xiii'iu'ni density i'irthe ax'ia l center of the playiii-g surrac and at the same" timecrowd the: surplus leather rad iallylrom theiaxir'altcenter of the embryo tip blank; leaving" the outeredges of the tip comparatively sh ft.-

It is. well known in the art that leather cue tip stock is not of uniform. density and that each;- tip blank; must be separately treated; Following the foregoing Operation, l-proceed to cut to shapeand completely sever the one tip blank from the stock: in a single-operation; said blank now containingthe maximum amount of material through the axial-center oi the playing surface; Cue tipblanks made by the above meshed from properly selected material of sufiiCien-t thickness,- are of uniform height, diameter, and decrease in density radially from the axial center of thetipblank'.

The cue tip blank, which is} out about five=thousandths of an inch smaller in'cliameter than theinsidee Walls of the die isnow subjectedto yielding--compression of sufiicient degree,-t0, reduce it .to a desirable playing: height,- and to further compress the alaying surface upon the body of the tip. Tips made" by my method may be used immediately uponbeingadh-esively attached to thecuepoint, the furtherlaborbeing necessary to prepare the cuet-ip for playing.

The reduction of labor in the preparation of one tips, effects a. material and substanrial-reduction in the first cost of tipping cues, and the: subsequent cost ofmaintai-ning cues in playingrondition, by reason of the superior wearingqualities of cue tips made by my. method;

In thenccomp'anying drawings: Figure 1, is z'rusideView, in elevati'oinof a tip cutting machine adapted to the practice of my invention; Fig.1 2,- a side view in elevation, of}, a tip cutter; Fig. 3,; a detail bottom view offnFig-r 21; Fig. 4, a top plan view of the cutter carrier; Fig; 5, a sectional View taken on the line a, a in Fig; 4:; Fig; 6, a perspective View of a strip of tip stock; Fig. 7-, illustrates the first step inmy method. of makingone tip; Fig. 8; illustrates the second and final steps; inma-kinga cue tip blank S). is aside-elevationor: a, cue tip blank; Fig; 10, illustrates a simple form of compression mechanism, partly in section, and; Fig. ll, is aside elevation of a finished one tip.

In: the practice. of my invention, 1 select tip: stock ofthe thickness necessary to make the desired l'i'eight and diameter of a specific size, cuetipblank. ,This stock may be of a single thicknessof leather, or may have a. prepared: leather backing, adhesivejly attached to the grain side thereof. I have faundzit' very desirable to interpnse s a nonyielding fabric, such as linen crinoline, or similar material, between the leather backing and the tip stock, particularly when using what is known in the art as tete de veaux, and which stock has the tendency to stretch freely. Nhen using chrome leather, or other comparatively non-yielding material for the body of the tip, the backing member may be dispensed with, as may the fabric, when the backing member is of fibre or material of like character.

The stock is then subjected to compression by a punch, 1, which firmly compresses the stock in the axial center of the embryo tip blank, thereby crowding the fibres downward upon the body of the stock and radially from the axial center of the blank, and increasing its density through the axial center thereof. The prepared stock, 21, is then placed in the cutting machine, and is held in position by the clamp, 2, pivoted by means of a stud, 3. The clamp, 2, is depressed by a foot lever (not shown) connected to the bar, 4, at one of its ends, the other end of the bar, 4, being connected to the clamp lever, 2 at the point, 5. The cutter, 6, which is secured in the drill press spindle, 22, is forced downward upon the stock by the hand lever, 7, which lever operates and controls the up and down movement of the drill press spindle, forcing both the inside cutter, 6, and the outside cutter, 8, into the stock, 21, to a point that does not quite sever the tip blank from the stock.

The outside cutter, 8, is not secured in the spindle, 22, but, is disposed in the carrier, 9, which carrier is pivotally suspended in the lever, 13, by means of cone point set screws oppositely disposed in the lever, 13, as shown at point, 10, and entering into the recesses, 11, and 12, provided in the carrier, 9. The supporting; bar, 14, is attached to the spindle bearing, 15, and locked into position by the clamp screw, 28. The link, 16, provides a hinged connection between the bar, 14, and the carrier lever, 13, at its rear end. The front end of the lever, 13, is supported by the spring, 17, thereby keeping the carrier, 9, against the face of the spindle while in operation.

W hen the tip blank has been completely shaped by the inside cutter, 6, the outside cutter, 8, which, is rotated by being operatively engaged with the cutter, 6, by means of a pin, 18, disposed in the cutter. 6, and the slot, 15), in the cutter, 8, is then depressed by ineans of the lever, 13, forcing the cutter, 8, through the stock, 21, and completely separating the tip blank, 25, from the body of the stock The) rod, 23, is hooked in an eye bolt, 24, disposed in the lever, 13, and controls the cutting depth of the outside cutter, 8, by means of a nut, 20.

Fig. 10 illustrates a simpleform of yield-.

ing compression mechanism, suitable for conlpressing the one tip blank, 25. The tip blank, 25, is placed in awell known form of cylindrical die, 1, disposed in the die holder, 2, which holder is secured to the press bed, 3, by means of the cap screws, 29, and 30. The fiat face plunger, 4, is disposed in the press ram, 9, and forces the tip blank, 25, inside the walls of the die, 1, and downward upon the concave face of the plunger, 6*, de

pressing the ejecting block, 7 and thereby bringing into action the full force of the compression spring, 14. The ejecting block, 7, is disposed upon the main compression spring retainer, 10, and secured in axial line with the plunger, (5, by means of a stud, 11, passing through the spring retainer, 10, and is secured by screw threads in the ejecting block, 7 The head, 12, of the stud, 11, prevents the upward movement of the ejecting block, 7, beyond a predetermined distance when actuated by the spring, 8, the force of the spring, 8, being merely sufficient to eject the tip from the die, 1, when finished.

The main pressure for compression is seecured by means of a helical square thread spring, 14, which is reduced to about sixtenths of its original length by means of the bolts, 15, and 16, which pass through the spring retainer, 10, and are permanently secured at their bottom ends in the spring retainer, 17. The pressure of the spring, 14*, may be increased or decreased by tightening or loosening the nuts, 18, and 19, on the bolts, 15, and 16. The guide bars, 20", and 21, are disposed between the supporting bar, 22, and the under side of the press bed, 3, and secured in position by the bolts, 23 and 24, passing through the bar, 22, and secured by male threads into the press bed, 3 The spring retainers, 10", and 17, are provided with suitable recesses to engage the guide bars, 20 and 21 and may be adjusted to the proper height by means of the set screw, 26*, disposed in the bar, 22, and secured in position by the lock nut, 31.

The advantages of my invention in the manufacture of one tips will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and to those consumers of cue tips that have been accustomed to preparing the standard commercial article by the present method of preparing such cue tips for play I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The improvement in the manufacture of one tips which consists in taking a block of suitable resilient material having opposite plane surfaces; compressing the embryo one tip through its axial center upon the opposite plane bottom of the stock; and subsequently cutting therefrom a one tip blank that, by such treatment, will decrease in density radially from the axial center thereof.

2. The improvement in the manufacture of one tips which consists in taking a block of suitable resilient material having opposite plane surfaces; compressing the embryo one tip through its axial center upon the opposite plane bottom of the stock; subsequently cutting therefrom a cue tip blank that, by such treatment, will decrease in density radially from the axial center thereof; and subjecting the one tip blank to a suflicient degree of yielding compression to produce a finished one tip of the desired height and diameter.

3. The improvement in the manufacture of one tip blanks which consists in taking a block of suitable resilient material having a backing disk adhesively attached thereto compressing the cue tip through its axial cent-er upon the bottom of the stock; and subsequently cutting the finished cue tip lank therefrom.

4:. The improvement in the manufacture of a finished one tip which consists in taking a block of suitable resilient material having a backing disk adhesively attached thereto and compressing the one tip through its axial center upon the bottom of the stock; subsequently cutting the finished cue tip blank therefrom; and subjecting the one tip blank to a sufficient degree of yielding compression to produce a finished one tip of the desired height and diameter.

5. The improvement in the manufacture of one tip blanks which consists in taking a block of suitable resilient material having a leather backing disk adhesively attached thereto and a non-yielding fabric interposed between the backing disk and the body of the stock; compressing the cue tip through its axial center upon the opposite plane bottom of the stock; and subsequently cutting the finished cue tip blank therefrom.

6. The improvement in the manufacture of a finished one tip which consists in taking a block of suitable resilient material having a leather backing disk adhesively attached thereto and a non-yielding fabric interposed between the backing disk and the body of the stock; compressing the one tip through its axial center upon the opposite plane bottom of the stock; subsequently cutting the finished one tip blank therefrom; and subjecting the cue tip blank to a sufficient degree of yielding compression to produce a finished cue tip of the desired height and diameter.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a cue tip of resilient material having a leather backing disk adhesively attached thereto and a non-yielding fabric interposed between the backing disk and the body of the tip; and a substantially semi-spherical body portion opposite a plane bottom and decreasing in density radially from the axial center of the one tip.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a finished cue tip of resilient material having a backingdisk adhesively attached thereto and a non-yielding fabric interposed between the backing disk and the body of the tip; and a substantially cylindrical body portion having a convexed playing surface opposite a plane bottom and decreasing in density radially from the axial center of the one tip.

9. As a. new article of manufacture, a finished one tip of resilient material having a backing disk adhesively attached thereto, and a substantially cylindrical body portion having a convex playing surface opposite a plane bottom, and the characteristic of decreasing in density radially from the axial center of the cue tip.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a finished one tip of resilient material having a substantially cylindrical body portion, a convex playing surface opposite a plane bottom, and the characteristic of decreasing in density radially from the axial center of the cue tip.

FRED B. SEEBERGER.

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